Opus Co

More than ever, it seems that some independent restaurants (those that are not part of a chain) are taking more risks as in offering up nose-to-tail cookery.  Furthermore, the farm-to-table movement is becoming more mainstream where diners are focusing on quality and fresh ingredients.  Of course, that usually comes at a price and frankly, a large chain would have a hard time with that kind of commitment.  That is where a small place such as the newish Opus Co comes into the picture.  This was something that fit Miss Y like a glove as the "Opus Feast" was as Paleo as it gets for dining out.

The aforementioned Feast is their tasting menu for $50.00pp that features shared plates that are chosen by the chef.  We decided to sit right at Chef's Counter where we could watch our food being prepared.  We began with a small Charcuterie Plate consisting of house-made sweet capocollo with sesame salt, lamb spam and turnip with shrimp paste.  This was a simple plate that highlighted their use of Asian seasoning.  We loved the lamb spam (made with cured lamb belly and trimmings) as it was meaty and lean while being easy on the salt.  The fermented saltiness of the shrimp pasted turned an ordinary turnip into something flavourful and impactful.

Next up was the Kale Salad with roasted squash, Asian pear, peanut sauce and cilantro vinaigrette.  This was another flavour explosion thanks to the aggressive use of the tangy and bright dressing.  I appreciated the restraint with the cilantro as it can be overpowering if not used properly.  Due to the intense briny saltiness, it appeared there was fish sauce in the vinaigrette. We did agree that there was probably just a tad too much dressing though.  The robust texture of the kale did stand up to the strong flavours though while the peanut sauce added creamy aromatics.

Onto the mains, we shared the Pan-Seared Steelhead with kasu "risotto", beets and grilled treviso.  If there was perfection in preparing the steelhead, this would be it.  The skin was appealingly crispy and well-salted while the flesh was just barely cooked through which meant it was flaky, moist and buttery.  On the side, the beets were tender and sweet while the grilled treviso was crunchy and lightly bitter.  By employing the leftover lees from sake-making, the kasu riostto was an interesting addition where it was soft and lightly creamy with a bright and only mild sake background flavour.

From fish, we went with Pork Belly with crispy rice with pork fat and dressed with fermented black bean sesame dust.  Another side consisted of salted radish.  The rolled piece of roasted pork belly was sliced and then seared.  The result was a wealth of fatty aromatics combined with the caramelization of flavours.  We could really taste the pork since it was not overseasoned (this was a good thing).  It was super buttery and tender where it didn't take much effort to cut and chew.  The rice was crispy and chewy with the essence of pork fat while the dust added a nutty saltiness that accented the pork.

Our last savoury item was the Lamb Loin rubbed with anchovy and garlic atop a miso creme fraiche accompanied by pickles.  Prepared a beautiful medium-rare (close to rare in some parts which was fine by us), the meat was succulent and fatty sporting caramelized exterior.  The flavours were intense with a briny saltiness, yet restrained enough that it didn't overshadow the delicious fattiness of the lamb.  The side of pickles added an acidity and crunch that helped cut through the fatiness.

For dessert, we were presented with a duo consisting of Bay Leaf Buttermilk Ice Cream with candied squash and a cranberry shortbread cookie as well as Carrot Cake with a sticky marmalade on top.  Creamy and lightly woodsy, the ice cream was purposefully sweet.  Loved the robust sweet squash on the side.  As for the carrot cake, it was fluffy and light where the sweetness was surprisingly restrained.  Even the marmalade was not over-sweet.  As you can plainly see, we enjoyed our meal at Opus Co where the food is interesting and well-prepared.  The Feast is an incredible value and I just might head back when I'm in town.

The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Interesting and good use of Asian flavours
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Super small dining space

Westoak

One of the longer standing restaurants in Yaletown has been Westoak run by Vancouver restaurateur Peter Girges.  I've been to some of his past establishments before, but have yet to visit Westoak.  It might be possibly due to the wide range of other choices that I've never had a chance to get out there.  Also, there was a famous social media fallout from a post awhile back about the lack of attention from the host/hostess...  Anyways, I finally made it out to the busy and popular eatery out on Mainland Street. 

At first, when the Crispy Calamari hit the table, I was a bit dismayed at the portion size.  What looked like a few strips ended up to be 2 each for all of us.  They were on point though being tender with just the right amount of chew.  The batter on the outside wasn't very crispy though, but it was well-seasoned.  It sat atop a red cabbage slaw with jalapenos.  The side of pepper lime aioli was creamy and tangy with a bite.  Also not looking too promising was the Wild Mushroom Crostini, yet it turned out to be decent.  I definitely got hits of rosemary with the smooth ricotta as well as slight bitterness from the lemon zest.  The mushrooms were buttery and mild-tasting, but we wished there were more of the pickled ones as the rest were pretty bland.

Probably our most favourite appie was the Vancouver Island Mussels and Fries.  As you can see in the picture, the fries are in the foreground and hence focused.  This was bad picture-taking on my part, but it might as well have been the highlight.  These thick-cut and double cooked fries were money.  They were crispy on the outside and full of tender potato goodness on the inside.  The mussels were good too being plump and buttery.  We found the broth quite good consisting of white wine, shallots and sundried tomato pesto.  Lastly, the Chinois Prawns were reminiscent of honey walnut prawns found at Chinese restaurants (hence the name).  They were slightly crunchy with a sweet glaze spiked by a housemade spicy aioli.  I thought these were pretty good, but the amount of sauce was a little excessive.

Onto the mains, I decided on the Braised Lamb Shank with housemade gnocchi, parsnip puree, minted peas, Swiss chard and shallots.  This could've been a great dish if the protein itself was good.  Unfortunately, the lamb was dry and chewy where it should've been fatty, tender and gelatinous.  If we looked past that, the pillowy soft gnocchi were excellent while the puree was smooth and flavourful.  The braising liquid was full of depth without being salty.  Too bad about the lamb shank itself.  Elaine found that her Roasted Pork Chop was equally dry where it was nicely seared though.  Fortunately, it wasn't chewy, so it was decently edible.  It was accompanied by creamy mashed potatoes, broccolini and a sweet and tangy apple dijon jus.

Viv ended up with the Sablefish with maple soy glaze, ginger wild rice, bak choy and pickled radish.  If we looked at the protein, it was expertly prepared where the flakes of fish were tender and buttery.  There was a nice sear on the outside while the glaze was super impactful.  Maybe a bit too much as it was rather salty.  We found the ginger wild rice to be very tasty with a nuttiness and sharpness to go with its chewy texture.  Lastly, Costanza had the best dish of the bunch with the Lobster Linguine.  The pasta was al dente and nicely sauced with chili marinated lobster, cherry tomato, fresh basil and lemon zest.  There was enough tang and spice to keep the flavours lively while the amount of tender lobster was fairly generous. In the end, we were pretty happy with the appetizers, but the entrees were definitely hit and miss.  So depending on what you order, your experience at Westoak could be quite varied.

The Good:
- Nice location and vibe
- Appies were solid
- Fair pricing for Yaletown

The Bad:
- Entrees were hit and miss

812 Cake & Dessert

For a fairly big international city, Vancouver doesn't boast a wide range of dessert spots (specifically cake).  Let me rephrase that, Vancouver does not sport many late-night cake spots.  Yes, we have the usual shaved ice, bubble-tea and other Asian dessert joints, but for actual cake, we normally find them closed by dinner time.  However, there is a new place called 812 Cake & Dessert, located in Burnaby no less.  The 8 represents the steps required and the 12 is the selection of cakes available.  Recently, I made 2 separate visits and came away with a good sampling of their wares.

Probably one of their best cakes, the Tiramisu was certainly light and creamy.  I found the flavours mildly sweet with only the background essence of coffee and cocoa powder.  For some, this would be too understated, but for me, it was perfect as I got my tiramisu hit without having to down a glass of water with it.  With all of the creaminess, the sponge cake (not lady fingers) was relatively moist.  The same couldn't be said about the Blueberry as the sponge seemed a bit drier.  With that being said, I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was a deal-breaker.  Once again, the amount of airy fresh cream was light and made up for any dryness.  I could get the blueberry in it, but with anything blueberry, it was muted and not very sweet.

Probably the sweetest cake we had was the Salted Caramel for obvious reasons.  However, once again, it didn't go beyond the threshold of sweetness for me personally.  I got a smoky buttery salty sweetness that was aromatic and pleasant.  It was especially true when I got an extra dose of the caramel from the top of the cake.  I found the sponge to be similar to the blueberry cake, yet the texture worked better with the caramel in my opinion as it stood up to the robust flavour.  To change it up a bit, the Blueberry Cheese was a light version of a cheesecake.  It was creamy and full of cheesiness accented by a nice tang and once again, only a purposeful amount of sweetness.  The blueberry was in the background except for the sauce on top. 

Our last item was the Matcha Roll filled with matcha cream.  The roll itself was not as light and airy as I would've preferred, but it wasn't too dense either.  I liked how it held up without being crumbly.  Inside, the cream was light where the matcha didn't have too bitter of a finish.  They exercised restraint in that regard.  On another visit, we ended up trying a few items that we weren't able to fit in last time.  The Strawberry Cheese Tart caught our eye immediately and it turned out to be a good choice.  From the firm buttery tart crust to the smooth cheese filling, this was balance in flavour and sweetness.  It was texturally on point.

The best thing we ate was the Sweet Potato cake, even though I had my initial reservations.  As much as the description would imply a heavy concoction, it was far from it.  Rather, the filling was creamy and fairly light.  The sweetness was very mild, yet still apparent.  Overall, I found the cakes at 812 to be attractive and fairly good.  Sure, the sponge could've been a bit more moist, but for a dedicated cake spot in Burnaby that is open late, it did the job and more.

The Good:
- Balanced flavours
- Not too sweet
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Sponge could be more moist
- Not sweet enough for some people

Green & Oak

Goodbye Mr. Chili, you were decent for the area, but alas high-prices and inconsistent food didn't help your cause.  Kato Japanese used to occupy this space for what seemed like eternity.  The newest spot closed roughly a year into its operation.  Now we find yet another Asian cuisine in Green & Oak Malaysian.  There has been some minor buzz on IG about the place because there really isn't any Malaysian in the vicinity.  I ended up checking out the place with Diana, Emily, Karen, Jo, Irene and Steph on a Monday night.

We began the meal with a few standards being the Roti Canai and Satay (Chicken, Beef and Pork).  Looking rather flat and small in portion size, the roti ate better than expected.  It was lightly crispy on the outside while chewy on the inside.  Just like it appeared, the roti was a touch dense and needed more separation of layers (like fluff it up after being cooked).  The best part was the dip as it was creamy, spicy and coconutty.  I wasn't a huge fan of the satays especially the beef as it was not charred enough and the meat was chewy.  The pork was marginally better while the chicken was the best being moist.  I felt all 3 were lacking in flavour.  The accompanying peanut dip was too bland and creamy.  I much prefer the coarsely chopped peanut dip with palm sugar.

Also hitting the table shortly after was the Fried Chicken Wings which were crispy with well-rendered skin.  Normally, I don't prefer fried whole chicken wings, as they are bit awkward to eat, but these were juicy and natural-tasting.  Even the wing tips were appealingly crispy (which I normally do not eat). With that being said, I would've liked more seasoning in the form of salt or even MSG (a la Phnom Penh style).  The side of lemon pepper dip did help amp up the impact though.

Onto the mains, we ended up sharing the whole Hainanese Chicken with 4 bowls of chicken oil rice and soup.  I found the chicken to be large, meaty and as expected, de-boned.  The skin was nicely gelatinized while the meat was moist, including the breast.  However, it was pretty bland on its own, ice cold and resembled Chinese "bak cheet gai" rather than Hainanese chicken.  The side of grated ginger condiment was on point being completely made up of ginger and well-seasoned.  Although the rice was attractive in colour, nutty and chewy, there was just too much grease.  It ate heavy and was rather unappealing in that regard.  This was a good poached chicken that could be a great Hainanese chicken if prepared in a more authentic manner.

So far, the food was pretty average, but the stir-fried dishes really stood out, starting with the Belachan Fried Rice.  Although the picture doesn't show the actual portion size, it was enough.  The rice was nutty and chewy benefiting from the hot wok.  It was flavourful with caramelization and a touch of spice.  Thick, creamy and coconutty, the Beef Rendang was decent.  The sauce was impactful enough to flavour the accompanying white rice while not drowning it since it was the right viscosity.  The pieces of brisket were sufficiently tender, but not incredibly so.  This didn't really taste like an authentic rendang, as it was more like a coconut curry (lacking in aromatics).

Our last 2 dishes were also solid due to the fact they were stir-fried (seemed to be a trend).  The Mee Goreng featured caramelized and slightly smoky flavours.  The chewy noodles were on point while the grease level was low.   It had a nice balance between sweet and savoury (since some versions can be too sweet).  The same could be said about the Chow Kuay Teow as it was also slightly smoky and full-flavoured.  The noodles were not too clumpy nor oily.  Visually, much like the other stir-fried dishes, the caramelized colour was appealing.  If it wasn't apparent already, the stir-fried dishes at Green & Oak are pretty good.  However, the rest of the dishes are pretty mediocre or lacking in authenticity.  There is definitely promise here, if they can further refine their food.

The Good:
- Nicely executed stir-fried dishes
- Friendly people
- Cute spot

The Bad:
- Other than the stir-fries, the food is mediocre

Italian Kitchen

It's been awhile since I last visited Italian Kitchen.  I remember that the meal was actually pretty good, but that was 9 years ago.  Much has changed since then including more restaurants added to the Glowbal Group and a change in location. They aren't located on Alberni anymore as rent on that street has skyrocketed.   Hence, they moved into the old Don Francesco's spot across from the Sutton Place Hotel on Burrard.   Recently, I was given the opportunity to do a tasting at the new location with Tina.

We were treated to 2 appies to start including the Bruschetta alla Toscana with cannellini beans, cauliflower and spiced walnuts atop garlic crosta.  Beautifully plated, the crostini was light, crunchy throughout and aromatic from the garlic.  The mixture on top was creamy with intermittent firm beans throughout as well as the crunch from the walnuts.  It was seasoned ever-so-lightly, hence we could taste the beans and cauliflower individually.  A touch more salt and/or acidity would've put this dish over the top.  Uniquely arranged, the Vitello Tonnato featured tuna mayo on the bottom rather than the top.  The roasted veal was lean and tender while the sauce was mild with the natural taste of ahi tuna at the forefront.  We found that each bite needed the capers and castelvetrano olives for a salty impact.

Onto the pasta course, we were presented with both the Torchio alle Verdure and Fennel Pollen Casoncelli.  Being a vegetarian pasta, the torchio with roasted squash, sunchokes, kale and bell pepper succo blew me away.  I didn't have much expectation for this, but layers of flavour were developed that created plenty of umaminess.  There was an earthiness accented by enough natural sweetness from the veggies and savouriness from the spot-on seasoning.  Moreover, the pasta was just right being al dente with a firm chewiness.  Now this was good, but the casoncelli was even better.  The thin pasta was tender with a bite and the fennel pollen added a mild sweetness as well as a faint anise finish.  It was filled and topped with plenty of duck confit for full-impact.  Finished with roasted duck stock and a bit of foie, there was a luxurious silkiness that was "ducky" and full-bodied.

Moving along, we were served Salt Crusted Bass for 2 with peperonata, leeks, lemon and caponata. This was roasted for half-an-hour in the salt crust which helped keep the moisture and natural flavours locked in.  That it did as the fish was moist and flaky while not being over-seasoned (salty skin was removed).  The squeeze of charred lemon brightened up the fish and added the necessary acidity.  Our red meat dish of the meal was the 7 oz Beef Tenderloin with ricotta & egg yolk ravioli, roasted vegetables and extra virgin olive oil.  The filet was perfectly medium-rare and properly rested.  Therefore, the meat was super tender and moist.  It was well-seasoned so it tasted great on its own.  On top the ravioli featured chewy al dente pasta while the egg yolk was no longer runny since we were too busy taking pictures.

For dessert, we had their signature Zeppole with vanilla creme anglaise.  This was good sporting airy and soft doughnuts with a crispy exterior.  It was dusted with powdered sugar and filled with chocolate ganache, yet wasn't overly sweet.  Our favourite dessert was the Lemon Crostata with a tangy fresh lemon cream filling that was accented well by an equally tangy and sweet raspberry sauce.  The flaky pie shell was appealingly firm and crispy.  This including the rest of the meal was surprisingly quite good.  Glowbal restaurants often get a bad rap (including from myself), but I was pretty happy with the dishes we tried.  I was especially impressed with the pasta as the textures were spot on.


*All food and beverages were complimentary*


The Good:
- Well-executed proteins
- Texturally on point pasta
- Comfortable dining space

The Bad:
- On the pricier side, but it located in a prime space
- Some items could've used more salt

Vietnamese Tea House

I'll be pretty frank here...  When I first drove by Vietnamese Tea House on Hastings, it didn't even register in my subconscious  "I have to eat here" voice.  Similar to bubble tea joints and coffee shops, there seems to be a new or re branded Vietnamese restaurant opening up every now and then.  However, looking over the online reviews, the place seemed to be getting plenty of love.  Then ironically, I was contacted by the owner to try the place out.  So I did, along with Amy, Diana, Elaine, Emily and Karen.

A barrage of appies hit the table including the Bò Tái Chanh (Beef Sashimi on the menu).  This consisted of thinly-sliced rare beef topped with a combination of onions, garlic, fried shallots, cilantro, sugar and lime juice.  The buttery and tender beef was still meaty while the aromatics on top were complimentary.  It was pretty sweet where the amount of lime juice could've been just a tad more aggressive.  Next up the Chả Giò (Pork Spring Rolls) were pretty solid with a crunchy exterior that wasn't oily.  Inside, the somewhat firmly packed filling was tender and well-seasoned.  I would've liked to see rice paper used here, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.

We were also served one each of the Garlic Butter Chicken Wings and Honey Garlic Chicken Wings.  Despite being doused with a bit too much sauce, the wings were still crispy with rendered skin.  Underneath, the meat was fairly succulent.  I personally enjoyed the butter garlic more as it was impactful with aromatics and a touch of spice.  The side of lemon pepper dip was very peppery and added even more flavour.  Piled high, the Green Papaya Salad with beef jerky was texturally on point.  The crunch of the papaya and carrots was appealing while the beef jerky added a robustness.  There was plenty of dressing underneath which was mostly sweet with some saltiness from the fish sauce.  In the background, there was a slow rumble of spice.

The best appie of all was the Stir-Fried Corn and Shrimp.  Apparently, this is served exclusively as a street food in Vietnam (specifically in Saigon).  Well, we are in Vancouver, so served in a restaurant it is!  Beyond the sweet pop of the niblets, there was a buttery garlickiness that was addictive.  Add in the meaty and briny shrimp and there was a certain amount of umaminess that kept us wanting more.  Such a simple item, yet at the same time, appetizing.

Onto the mains, I sampled the Bun Bo Hue first and it featured slippery, yet chewy lai fun noodles.  There was a decent amount of meat that was sliced thin and tender.  I would've liked to see the traditional pork knuckle and pork's blood, but that didn't make or break the dish.  As for the broth, it was mildly spicy with a noted sweetness.  There could've been a touch more lemongrass though.  Of course we couldn't do with the baseline or standard in the Pho Dac Biet.  The broth was clean and clear having an almost healthy quality to it.  It was mild with a balanced amount of sweetness and saltiness.  There was a background meatiness as well.  Even after all of our picture-taking, the noodles were still on point being chewy and not clumpy.  A fantastic value at $8.50 including tax!

Now those 2 bowls of noodles were fine, but the real deal was the Crab Pho with crab protein.  This was intoxicatingly aromatic and briny.  The soup was flavourful without being salty.  Rather, it really tasted like crab and hence seafoody.  The noodles were on point again while the shrimp was meaty.  Loved the clumps of crab protein which was flavourful and fluffy.  Served as a large portion, the Beef and Chicken Vermicelli Bowl was solid.  It featured chewy noodles topped with a considerable amount of meat.  I found the chicken to be nicely charred with rendered skin.  It wasn't juicy, but was tender.  The beef was also caramelized and decently tender.

One of the weaker dishes was the Chicken Curry.  Although the thin curry was to be expected (Vietnamese Style), the flavour was also lacking in impact.  There was not much in the way of discernible flavours or spice.  The chicken was moist though and the potatoes were soft yet not melted.  The Banh Mi with Grilled Beef was decent with crunchy and chewy bread.  Inside, the beef was similar to vermicelli bowl being caramelized and fully seasoned.  It was sweet with a slight saltiness.  As you can see, the food at VTH is pretty solid.  We also tried some of their slushes and they were smooth and tasty.  Prices are currently very reasonable where they include tax.  The place might be rather unassuming, but it is definitely a hidden gem.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Overall solid eats
- Reasonable, bordering on cheap prices
- Super nice people

The Bad:
- A few items could use a bit more refinement, but really, for those prices, complaints are far and few in between